Dwelling places: Grace upon grace
Hand-Woven Tapestry by Tina B. Woolley
Charis
Greek for “grace” —its meaning releases a beautiful clarity of ways to see God’s grace and the transformation we are welcomed into through Jesus.
charis meaning:
“that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
good will, loving-kindness, favor
of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues” *
Meditation.
Take a moment to allow the charis descriptives to be colorfully woven, resembling a flow of gentle waves of living waters being washed over you. Notice what words you are receiving. Is there a thought, question, or a lifting of heart and mind to be curious about our God who embodies and outpours grace for you?
Write something that resonates and may this begin as your prayer conversation with the Lord.
Reflection.
Is there something more for us in Grace?
I recently read Unhurried Leadership by Alan Fadling and this quote began unfolding some reflections and reignited a longing curiosity for more understanding, more learning to more living out the embodying of grace in life with others. He writes of his own realization:
“...far and away the majority of times the word grace was used (in the New Testament) it wasn’t referring to the free gift of salvation we receive by faith. Instead, grace most often referred to some facet of actually living out a Christian life.”
And he offers, what I am calling the Charis question, where do I need grace in my life?
Throughout of my faith journey, I have heard the repetitive phrase “saved by grace” or “salvation by grace” and many variations of this attributed to salvation through faith in Christ and the once saved always saved which I am beyond measure and eternally grateful for (which I have yet to even get a glimpse of what this means eternally). But, I have over the years been curious how much wider, expansive, and not so ‘simplistic’ in a way grace goes beyond these repetitive phrases; to a deepening meaning which is more so —living grace.
Alive and growing, yes! Is there as well some formative creativeness of grace likened to painting, sculpting, weaving, musical composition or poetic writing, etc?
I guess you could say tangible in a way maybe it is through ‘touches of grace’ ‘tasting of grace’ ‘aromas of grace’ ‘hearing of gracious voice’…and so on. I confess to wondering and say this is a desire of mine, to go beyond the expansion of grace only “of saved and done” to the indwelling for a continuous transformation in living grace.
A while back, I was asked to share my “come to faith” testimony which for me was at first thought those repetitive phrases “saved by grace” “salvation by grace” which meant name that moment you confessed the worst sin committed up to being a teen and Jesus touched you and healed the condemning path to hell you were on. Saved, baptized, and now you could get into heaven. That was a very scary and vulnerable moment for me to speak of, the flood of shame came back in as a wave. I have to say though it was helpful in a reflective way because I realized how far I’ve come in understanding there was so much more to see in my life than that moment. (I won’t be sharing that story here and I imagine you have your own testimony story).
What I want and hope to offer is the beautiful furthering of the living grace path throughout our day by day.
May a focus instead on the charis definition of grace be somewhat of the breaking apart of hard clumps of soil, tilling the ground so more nourishing can happen, creating porous soil where watering can now penetrate and keep the growing–moving gently in living grace.
While much of this has been going on for some time this is the first time attempting to articulate reflections on this place of formation and offer you to join in. It is through what I have come to explore in this past month—a tilling of soil in Scripture with the focus on the relationship of believers to grace.
With each Scripture and phrase below, the invitation is to read the passage and sit with the Greek word “charis”--all the descriptions, listening into your present life where you are with God. Allow His voice to speak love into the place where you feel like you’ve hit the wall, or have hard clumps of soil in your faith journey. God wants to invite us into charis—living grace.
Believer’s—
“are under grace”
Romans 6:14 “For sin will no longer be a master over you, since you are not under Law [as slaves], but under [unmerited] grace [as recipients of God’s favor and mercy].” [AMP]
Selah (pause and think on that— charis, where do I need grace in my life?)
“stand in grace”
Romans 5:2
“Through Him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand. Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying] the glory of [our great] God [the manifestation of His excellence and power].” [AMP]
Selah (pause and think on that— charis, where do I need grace in my life?)
“are what they are by grace”
1 Co 15:10
“But by the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not [found to be] for nothing (fruitless and without effect). In fact, I worked harder than all of them [the apostles], though it was not really I, but the grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God which was with me.” [AMPC]
Selah (pause and think on that —charis, where do I need grace in my life?)
“abound in grace”
2 Co 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.” [AMP]
1 Tim 1:14
“And the grace (unmerited favor and blessing) of our Lord [actually] flowed out superabundantly and beyond measure for me, accompanied by faith and love that are [to be realized] in Christ Jesus”
Selah (pause and think on that —charis, where do I need grace in my life?)
